Bucking tradition like a Bronco under the cockiest cowboy’s weight, media powerhouses like Mara Brock Akil, Salim Akil and Ryan Coogler are using their convictions to bring superpowered Blackness to mainstream big and small screens. Daring us to remember the future, a new dawning of Black superheroes is upon us. And it looks and feels real good. It sounds good too because we can now add Karreim Riggins to this list of culture crafters.

August Greene – the band he’s comprised of himself and fellow Super Soul Heroes Robert Glasper and Common – does sonically, what Akil and Coogler do visually: combine mighty forces that rescue us from the evil soullessness of the world.

As if the brilliance of each man in this super group weren’t enough to guarantee grooves that stick and stay, their debut track, “Optimistic”, has them teamed up with champion songstress Brandy. Her buttery tone is a golden lasso we happily succumb to.

August Greene’s Sounds Of Blackness reprise remains a souled-out celebration of resilience and motivation. Only a few moments into the song and we’re quickly reminded of the magic Robert Glasper and Brandy make when they link up. There’s a tonal and emotional depth she explores in Glasper infused waters. This go ’round, her vocal command honors the sadness bubbling under the lyrical surface and it’s captivating. Coupled with Common and Karreim’s impossible-to-ignore tattoos on the songline, “Optimistic” is sophisticatedly adorned and poised for showing off.

The B+ directed short film for the song is a stunning vehicle for it’s haunting beauty. Filmed in Mississippi during the Martin Luther KIng Day weekend, it features cameos by respected notables the likes of Dr. Cindy Ayers, Frankye Adams Johnson,Hollis Watkins and the Maddrama Performance Group. An inspiring message from Jackson mayor, Chokwe Antar Lumumba is particularly apropos: “We confront real challenges but it’s what we do in the face of those challenges that really defines who we are.” Woven with in-studio captures of the super group, B+ creates a compelling visual tapestry.

The mighty forces of August Greene understand the makings of good music. Their first collaborative work, “Letter to the Free”, was featured in Ava Duvernay’s documentary 13th and earned a 2017 Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Their debut album, scheduled to drop in March on Amazon music, is a soulful adventure we look forward to.

Nobi De Lon is a NJ based writer, educator, DJ, and radio show host obsessed with vintage Black glamour, hip hop, soulful music, good conversation, reading, sweet tea, and hope. Always evolving, she considers herself most fearless when she is being creative behind a pen, podium or set of turntables. Connect with Nobi on her favorite vice, Instagram – @nobidelon.

Leave it to R&B-and-Pop-Appeal-Feel songstress Kali Uchis to turn our lives into one of those cool ass, slow motion, floating-down-the-sidewalk sequences. Yes, the retro-futuristic vibes of “After the Storm”, her latest release featuring Tyler, the Creator and Bootsy Collins, transports us into our very own Spike Lee-ish joint.

This solful nod to the grooves of funkier eras is theme music for everyone out here just trying to survive living. Life won’t let you be great? Kali’s vocals are like honey poured real slow when she purrs, “If you need a hero, just look in the mirror.” The sentiment sticks and more inspiring lyrics just like it cover you as the track’s smooth ushers listeners down their very own yellow-brick roads.

Kali Uchis’ seduction will have you believing you can achieve all things including how important she is to soul music. “After the Storm” also confirms what we’ve always known: music sounds and feels better when collabos are built on chemistry instead marketing campaigns. This Kali, Tyler and Bootsy thang is luscious.

Our favorite version of him, bad meaning good, Tyler, the Creator’s offering is intentionally cocky and incidentally sexy af. Occasional Andre 3000-esque vibes make his contributions hard not to love. Bootsy slathers just enough psychedelic expertise on the track to make it instant vintage. More please.

This is one of those head-nods that makes you grin and look ’round the room to see if anyone else is being caught up. These kinds of musical voyages are always more fun with company like this. If “After the Storm” is any indication, Kali is about to make sure the future of soulful music is a fantastic one indeed.

Give your senses a treat and check out the saucy visuals by Nadia Lee Cohen featuring an animated Bootsy Collins and Tyler, the Creator seeds Kali’s grows into the lover of her dreams. A Technicolor mash-up of I Love Lucy and bodega swag, the short film is kitschy-cool you’ll want to enjoy on a daily basis.

– Nobi De Lon

​Nobi De Lon is a NJ based writer, educator, DJ, and radio show host obsessed with vintage Black glamour, hip hop, soulful music, good conversation, reading, sweet tea, and hope. Always evolving, she considers herself most fearless when she is being creative behind a pen, podium or set of turntables. Connect with Nobi on her favorite vice, Instagram – @nobidelon.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Bilal perform many times in my life. Still, there was an undeniable electricity in the air at World Cafe Live on the eve of December 29th. It buzzed all around me as I found the perfect spot to post up. A stellar playlist of throwback Hip Hop and R&B kept the steady trickle of folks boppin’ as they joined the feel-good vibes in filling up the room.

I imagine our welcome must have felt like heat from a pot of good cookin’ after you lift the lid. The crowd was simmering and our anticipation had the tightly packed space steamed all the way up. He responded like anybody brave enough to sneak in mama’s pots; he dove right in.

Yes, Bilal was certainly in the building. Present in a way that felt bigger and fuller…even for him. If you’ve experienced a live Bilal concert before, then you know his shows are all kinds of amazing, one-of-a-kind-ness. This showcase was more than that. Yes, more. There’s been an evolution. Bilal has been revolutionized. And although it was not televised, his brilliance on display was certainly seen and heard in Philly that night.

He so appropriately ushered us into his world with the sensations of“Sirens II”. Stoked the fires with a “Soul Sista” Remix so funked-up that spectators missed it, but soul lovers caught and grooved to. He funked us some more with a crowd-choir-chant of the Yarbrough & Peoples synth-thick classic “Don’t Stop The Music”. And he didn’t. It kept coming. Just like the chorus we happily sang for him, Bila l loved us “…all night long.”

The evening’s soothe was unfamiliar at times, but delicious all the same. Bilal’s 12″ version of “Back to Love” had us riding the waves of a pristine falsetto-led vocal range. We knew he was blessed and could do all that. But damn, I’m not sure we were ready. We got ready though, real quick, when he insisted we join him on the Cult[ural] Classic “Sometimes”. The soul really started to stir then.

Listen, Bilal had magic movin’ on his stage. From his band of Bonafide Soulfides to the dazzle of the Kingz Kounty Klothing Moors sweatshirt I pray The Sable Collective can get in stock soon, we were mesmerized. At times, I found myself joining others in momentary pauses. As if we sensed there were musical seconds coming that we’d never forgive ourselves for missing. Thank goodness Bilal held us close. We were in it together and the ride was so good.

The extra helpings of soul food featuring Kindredthe Family Soul and Hezekiah on “Fast Lane” made me double check the whereabouts of my ticket stub. I wanted to make sure I could show it off, I mean, add it to my keepsake stash. Thank you Bilal for more of you than we expected and everything lovers of soul needed. ​

​Nobi De Lon is a NJ based writer, educator, DJ, and radio show host obsessed with vintage Black glamour, hip hop, soulful music, good conversation, reading, sweet tea, and hope. Always evolving, she considers herself most fearless when she is being creative behind a pen, podium or set of turntables. Connect with Nobi on her favorite vice, Instagram – @nobidelon.

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